Eva Kistrup

New Soloist at Royal Danish Ballet

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September 1st, 2020

Earlier today, Nikolaj Hübbe appointed Camilla Ruelykke Host to soloist.

36 year old Camilla Ruelykke Holst has been a strong force in the company for a long time and have danced a significant number of soloists and principal roles, like Babe in “Come Fly Away”, Gamzetti in “La Bayadere”, and Effy in “La Sylphide”. She is also known for being a dedicated mentor for the young dancers.

This season Nikolaj Hübbe will lose some of the leading principal ballerinas, including Amy Watson and Kizzy Matiakis who will both retire, at a time when the RDB school does not create that many female stars and only few girls joins the corps from the ballet school.

The company will also have another challenge as a significant number of dancers have decided to leave the company for new challenges either in other companies or in other employs.

Having such a dedicated and experienced force like Camilla Ruelykke Holst will help the company to regroup and refind the high level of female dancers as we are used to.

It is not only the female wing who has lost strong dancers. The male wing has also lost significant talent and several leading dancers are approaching retirement age. Luckily, the company has strong leading talent in Principals Andreas Kaas and Jon-Axel Fransson.

However the company school has not been able to develop many upcoming talents from its own school and Nikolaj Hübbe seems very cautious when it comes to appoint the talent available. High level dancers like Tobias Praetorius are still waiting for a much deserved appointment based on his outstanding performance as Hermann in “Queen of Spades” and other significant roles.  

The Danish audience is unfortunately used to lose some of our best male dancers to other companies. Promoting a dedicated dancer and role model as Camilla Ruelykke Holst is good housekeeping.

Hopefully Nikolaj Hübbe will not wait long before outstanding male talent will get their due and the promotions.

Photo: Camilla Ruelykke Holst in "Swan Lake"

Photo By Costin Radu

Copyright(c) Royal Danish Ballet 

The Best Intentions

 Royal Danish Ballet

August 15, 2020

 

Just before the lock down following the Corona challenge, Royal Danish Ballet announced that Principal dancers Amy Watson and Kizzy Matiakis would retire during the upcoming season. Each ballerina will retire after a final performance of respectively Teresina in “Napoli” and Karen Blixen in Gregory Dean´s creation “Blixen”.

Both ballerinas are outstanding proof that it is indeed possible for foreign educated dancers to master the Danish style and dramatic skills. Amy Watson and Kizzy Matiakis will be remembered, not only for their dedication to Royal Danish Ballet but also for their results and contribution.

Young Leavers

However, looking at the upcoming season´s rooster, it certainly look like that the dedication from dancers are dwindling. A significant numbers of younger dancers have decided to go elsewhere, or as in many cases retire or taking leave from dancing and instead join a university.

It was Nikolaj Hubbe himself, who introduced putting a high school education into the dance pupils program. Nikolaj Hübbe´s idea was if the Ballet School also included a secondary academic level, it would calm and secure the parents that pupils who might not be offered employment, still would have a high school education to rely on.

What Nikolaj Hübbe had not realized was that apprentices and young dancers might find their academic studies more interesting than a place on the back line in the corps de ballet.

Closing Corpus

 

August 11, 2020

 

Breaking News:

Nikolaj Hübbe close the experimental in house company Corpus in order to focus more on classical ballet. Corpus, as lead by Tim Matiakis will close at the end of 2021, as told by POW, the online arts and stage magazine.

Corpus has been a part of Royal Danish Ballet since 2012. It was originally planed as an outlet for the RDB dancers who could test their own ideas and choreography. The first years saw some interesting works like “We are not wowing – we are drowning” created by the RDB ensemble. “In Føling” followed this up in cooperation with theatre director Christian Lollike with the theme of the Afghanistan war. The RDB dancers performed with three injured war casualties, which resulted in an outstanding performance.  

These first years also showed interesting works from RDB dancers who had the dare to try their choreographic skills. Some of the most successful in-house choreographers included company members Esther Lee Wilkinson, who later has created several ballets, including some outstanding children’s ballets and the young dancer Oliver Starpov, who showed impressive choreographic skills.

 

Playing it Safe

 

 

 

 

Presentation of Royal Danish Ballet 2020-2021

 

May 12, 2020

 

Although Denmark is almost through the Corona scare, we are still being cautious, so the presentation of RDB´s next season is now a Facebook event. However, caution is also defining the 2020-2021 season.

The repertoire consist of predominantly safe and well-known productions. Many of which I love to bits. However, both the audience and I could benefit from being exposed to at least some new big style ballets.

The Silver Lining

 

 

Kim Brandstrup: “Shaken Mirror”

 

Royal Danish Ballet

 

Streamed on kglteater.dk

 

May 5th 2020

 

There is a Danish saying, “Nothing is so bad that it is not good for something” and the Royal Danish Ballet has certainly proved that during the Corona lock down in Denmark.

Where do we go from here?

 

May 3th, 2020

The six part series on the Royal Danish Ballet School has finally reached its conclusion. Due to the Corona situation, which demanded that the final episode of the series was postponed for another week. However, finally we got to the ending episode where the featured appretencies finally got their future settled. Would they be offered employment in the RDB Company or have to look elsewhere?

Keeping the Spirit

 

 

April 9, 2020

 

On Monday, our Prime Minister announced the next step in fighting the Corona Virus. Part of the plan is to ban big audience events and The Royal Danish Ballet is therefore effectively closed down, probably to the fall season.

This means that neither “A Folk Tale”, “Come Fly Away” and the anticipated “Mahler´s Third Symphony” will be performed this season. It is especially sad for the Mahler piece, as the production had reached the final rehersals.  Regarding the two other ballets, it is a minor loss as they are both well known by dancers and audience.

One can hope that some of the three ballet may be performed next season. However, the Royal Danish Ballet as part of three-headed organisation, is subjected to longtime planning. It may not be possible to perform any of the three ballet next season.

We may be wiser, when next season´s repertoire will be presented, usually by the end of April.

 

Kings & Princes

“Children of Ballet”

“Why is Ludwig not King”

March 17, 2020

 

In a closed down society, you cling on to what is available. With the Royal Danish Ballet closed down for two weeks in order to diminish the growth of Corona we turn to what is available.

If we cannot attend John Neumeier’s “Mahler Third Symphony”, we turn to the television series focusing on respectively the ballet school of The Royal Danish Ballet and another series, where a young RDB dancer is trying to find out why his royal great grandfather lost his place as Crown Prince and potential the ruler of Denmark.

Lady Corona

 

March 8, 2020

Like many other countries, Denmark is also faced by Corona Virus. However we seem to have been more lucky than other countries. There are but few sufferers and as we have a very efficient medical sector. However, certain treats are limited for us.

As the government has decided, theatres and other provider of sports and entertainment may not perform to more than 1000 audience members. This also hits the Royal Danish Ballet and unfortunately hitting John Neumeier´s “Mahler Third Symphony” which will run from March 13. The audience will be reduced by approx. half of the seats and the presentation by John Neumeier, scheduled for yesterday was also dropped. Still it could have been worse.

Two television series starring Royal Danish Ballet dancers and students will run in respective six and four enstallments. “Children of Ballet” follows the pupil and appretencies at the RDB Ballet School.

It is not the first television documentary on the school and company. There have been several other including one that followed ballet pupils in ten years, including Silja Schandorff who became our leading ballerina.

“Children of Ballet” focuses on pupils and teachers during one year. The main cast is Victoria Bell, a third year apprentice fighting to get a place in the company, Schonan Greve, the talented son of two former RDB stars, Marie Pierre and Kenneth Greve and Dexter Kyhl, the young boy who has found his calling and peace at the RDB School following a very difficult start in a mainstream Danish School.

The apprentices and pupils are taught primarily by former RDB stars like Linda Hindberg, Rose Gad and Christina Olsson. The teachers and the company is also shown taking care of pupils going through difficult dancing or life issue. A special treat is seeing Linda Hindberg working with Schonan Greve. She is on his case 100%, whether it is his dancing or his hairstyle. She is direct in her comments, but she also shares her great experience with him. And he loves it.

I will write more as the series runs, starting on Monday the 9th.

Royal in more sense than one.

First year dancer, Ludwig af Rosenborg is starring in a documentaries series “Why is Ludwig not King” that focus on the referendum in 1953, when the Danish voters decided for female rulers.

Including this in a referendum made it possible for the politicians to gain enough votes for changes in specials laws. Hereby making it possible for Denmark to join NATO.

While the country could applaud Princess Margrethe as Crown princess and Queen from 1972, her Uncle then Crown Prince Knud, the younger brother of King Frederik the 9th lost his title as Crown Prince and he and his sons and heirs was relegated to places behind King Frederik´s daughters and their heirs.

The oldest daughter, Princess Margrethe is now our reigning Queen, her oldest son Frederik is the Crown Prince and as he and his brother have each four children, the line of Prince Knud is hardly likely to be kings or reigning queens.

Actually, both Prince Knud ´s sons resigned their place in the line when they married common citizens. Ludwig af Rosenborg (along with siblings and cousins) are great grand childs of Prince Knud, and this is the reason why he is part of the series. Whether it is a good career move is still a question. Donning a crown and cape is perhaps going a bit too far.

I will report on how the series continues. So in all, even though “Lady Corona” will continue her run, there is still dancing to be enjoyed. Denmark have so far only few sufferers and our medical sector have knowledge and resources. I hope you are as well provided for as we are.

The Big Chance

 

Ballet de Luxe:

George Balanchine:

”Ballo dello Regina”

 

Dinna Bjørn & Nikolaj Hübbe:

”August 2.0”

 

Nikolaj Hübbe after Marius Petipa

”Raymonda Act Three”

 

When Merrill Ashley staged Balanchine´s ”Ballo dello Regina ”earlier this year, she participated in an audience presentation of the ballet and shared her experiences with working with Balanchine, who created “Ballo dello Regina” on her. She also shared Balanchine´s inspirations and ideas with the Copenhagen audience. She told us that Balanchine build the ballet on an Italian folktale of a young man who was giving the task of finding the most beautiful pearl in the world, and that the term “Regina” has a double meaning as both the Queen and the pearl. It was an important knowledge that changes the view of “Ballo dello Regina”. It is not just an abstract ballet. It must change how the dancers view and interpret their roles.

Merrill Ashley worked with three ballerinas, Principals Holly Dorger and Ida Praetorius and upcoming star Emma Riis-Kofoed, who was appointed Soloist this month. Principals Jonathan Chmelensky and Jón Axel Fransson shared the male cavalier roles. Chmelensky partnering Dorger and Riis-Kofoed.

Actually the two men also had leading roles in the two other ballets on the program, “Raymonda Act 3” and the Bournonville inspired “August 2.0.

Taking on the challenge of “Ballo dello Regina” must have been an enormous task for Emma Riis-Kofoed. Although she has conquered both Myrtha and the ballerina in “Etudes” earlier, this is her greatest challenge so far. Her approach was controlled and she was able to get through the whole ballet without running out of steam. Both Riis-Kofoed and Chmelensky focused on the steps and did not used the myth of the pearl in their interpretation, thereby keeping the ballet as a total abstract work.